3 changes the Phillies need to make after disastrous 27 earned run start
By Josh Wilson
In years past, 10 scored runs in the first two games of the year might have been enough to walk away with two wins to start the season. This year, it’s not even close to enough. Of course, it’s even harder to do that when you give up 27 runs in those same games.
The year has not started nicely for the Philadelphia Phillies, who are hoping to defend their National League Championship title. Not off to a good start after 11-7 and 26-3 losses to begin the year.
Look, we’re two games into the season. While we could spend this article talking about trades the team needs to make or prospects on the line they could call up to fill the gaps, the reality is the Phillies have a pretty good team built to challenge the best of the National League. Instead, they need to look for practical in-house changes they can make to get things back on track starting today.
Here are some very basic changes the Phillies can make to get things back on track.
Phillies need to trust the process
This is going to sound cliche as heck, but sometimes cliches become cliches because they’re worth heeding. The Phillies need to take notes from the basketball team in town and start trusting that things will begin to work themselves out.
It’s been a weird start to the season in Philly. Before the year kicked off, Rhys Hoskins got injured in Spring Training. Then, the Phillies had to kick off the year on the road with a scheduled off day in the middle of a series. Which, frankly, didn’t make sense considering the Rangers can close the roof at Globe Life Field and those day-two off days are usually in case of weather issues on Opening Day.
Philly doesn’t get to host a game until Thursday, but they do get to go back to the East Coast on Monday, and their left-handed hitters should love the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium, 11 feet shorter than the shortest part of right field in Texas. That could help kick-start the offense.
It will also be a little chillier in New York than it is in Texas, which typically leads to fewer hits. That’s a welcomed change for the Phillies pitching staff that has given up all those runs in the first two games.
Bad luck has gone against the Phillies so far. That won’t last 162 games.